Whispers of the Shadow
by Purin-Puririn
Summary: She was released of her lifetime in prison and sent to the 10th division. Hitsugaya knows her as a blood thirsty demon, but what happens when he sees her side of the story with his own eyes, and watch as the girl relive her horrid past? Rated T for safe
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! This is the first time for me to write a fanfic, I'm so excited! It kind of creeps me a bit that I ended up making a story with a beginning that's so...how should I put it? Scary? Depressing? Just so we're clear, I am not an emo person got it?**

**Please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach.  
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**Chapter 1**

The cell they're keeping her in was actually more comfortable than that retched place she used to call home, even if there weren't that much difference. There were no lights except for the small streams coming from the high window that's far above her head. The only sound that her ears could detect was the sound of water dropping from the ceiling. The floor of the cell was cold and rough, especially painful towards her injured skin.

Her gaze was to the ground and her purple orbs carried absolutely no emotion. Her hands were both chained by the wrist to the wall. Her clothes were ragged, and they were covered by her own dry blood. Fresh blood was still dripping from her arm and abdomen; her wrists were also turning red because of the tight chain wrapped around it. Every so often the shinigami were supposed to check on her condition, and sometimes bring medical support to bandage her open wounds.

The doors of the dark cell slowly open and soft footsteps could be heard approaching the girl's body. She didn't bother to look up; the person's shadow was already covering her. "Good morning, Nakamura-san" the familiar voice of one of the 4th division member who always comes and check her wounds echoed through the walls of her cell. "Your wounds reopened again! How can they keep opening like that? Did some of the guards treat you roughly or something?"

She shook her head. The female shinigami placed her hand on the girl's abdomen to check on it, "I'm beginning to wonder if it's an inner wound. What do you think, Nakamura-san?" She shook her head again in reply. The shinigami sighed before she began pulling out some of her medical equipment.

It wasn't clear how much time she spent to bandage the girl, plus the time she spent chatting and asking her things that is not outside the personal topic. She always talked whenever she comes there, and her voice was erasing the peace and quiet of the girl's cell. She likes talking to her about anything, but the girl would never come to a reply more than a simple nod. "Nakamura-san, I've been wondering…and I know this is also a very personal thing, and your cell isn't exactly the best place to ask this but…" She waited for the woman to finishes her sentence, "…Why were you jailed in the first place?"

She didn't answer or respond in anyway. Her gaze turned harder as her body stiffened, but she kept her mouth sealed. She didn't have to answer though, because right as she was about to ask again…the doors to her cell opened. "Have you finished yet?" The male shinigami's voice was hard and cold, he really doesn't like looking after this girl.

"Oh! Yes, hold on" The woman answered before she began packing back her things. She stood up and walked towards the door. The quiet girl lifted her head a bit, enough to see the female shinigami bow and smiled to her before leaving, and more than enough to see the scowl on the other shinigami's face. The doors shut close, but she could still see the long shadow of the shinigami hovering over her and blocking every bit of light from shining over her.

"There was an order from the soutaichou" His voice was filled with bitterness. "You're going to the captains meeting this afternoon, got it? There will be other shinigami coming here to help you with your clothes and stuff" She looked up a bit and looked at him from underneath her dark bangs, "No. I don't know why they're calling you. I'm only here to tell you and nothing more"

She nodded before looking back to the ground under her feet. The ground surrounding her was still a bit red because of her earlier blood. "Hey, girl" She looked up again and saw the serious look on the man's face; he walked further into the cell and stopped right in front of her. He kneeled down so his face was the same level as hers, "Exactly why were you sentenced here in the first place?"

**-In the Captains Meeting-**

"She has been living in that dungeon for a very long time, and within that time we managed to seal off most of her powers" Yamamoto stated while gazing to the rows of captain. "Though if her seal was to be removed, her powers can easily match that of a captain"

"And why do you suddenly decided to let her go?"

"Calm yourself, Soi Fon-taichou. There is a perfectly good reason as to why I'm letting that criminal go and assigning her to one of the Gotei 13 division" Yamamoto's voice rise a little. "Lately, her reiatsu has been reacting in an odd way and has become a bit too unpredictable, but enough to cause troubles. If we don't try and control it, it might become a threat to Soul Society"

"So…we're going to try to control it by being friends with her?" Kyoraku asked with just the slightest bit of interest in his tone while tipping the edge of his hat.

"Not exactly, we need to know if she is willing to stay as a shinigami and not cause any more harm-"

"Why can't we just kill her?"

Yamamoto sighed in annoyance, "Because, Zaraki… We do not know the outcome of such a reckless action. All we know right now is the fact that her reiatsu is acting up and we need to monitor it. We cannot take such a large risk of endangering all of seireitei in this" The large captain merely grunted, "And I wasn't expecting any volunteers to take her in, that's why I've picked the division she will be staying in myself"

"WHAAT?" Almost all the captains jumped at the idea, though some of their reactions are not as wild as some of the others.

"What if she sneaks out at night and decides to slaughter our members?"

"Soi Fon-taichou, I don't think she is capable of doing that in her current state"

"What if she wonders around my division and disrupted my experiments? Who knows what might happen!"

"Kurotsuchi-taichou, I doubt she'll actually understand any of your experiments"

"EXACTLY! Do you know the risk of that?"

"I'm not usually one to complain but I cannot have any more problems in my division…the 11th division has given my division enough troubles as it is"

"…You are excused for that, Unohana-taichou"

"I wouldn't mind inviting another girl in my division!"

"I don't think that's a good idea"

"Don't even think about sending a worthless chick into my division"

"What did you just say, Zaraki? Why don't say that to my face!"

"Now, now. I'm sure there's a reasonable way to solve this"

"Stay out of this!"

"Well, this meeting has certainly turned more interesting"

"…"

All of the captains began bickering into their own random conversation, some friendlier than others. The only ones to not make any further comments was Hitsugaya-taichou and the usual, Kuchiki-taichou. Yamamoto slammed his wooden staff to the floor, causing all the captains to stop. "Enough! Before you start jumping into any conclusions to this girl, you might like to meet her in person" The captains began standing back in their own places in lines, "You may come in"

The doors of the meeting room slowly opened, catching all the captains' attention. Two guards were opening the door without stepping into the room, as a girl made her way pass both of them. She was wearing a normal shinigami uniform with a dark purple fabric tied around her waist. Her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail while some of her dark bangs were covering her left eye. The only thing noticeable about this girl was the fact that she didn't have any sword with her and even though the room wasn't that bright, her skin looked awfully pale. She stopped in front of the two rows of captain before bowing.

"It's nice of you to join us" She stood straight and looked at Yamamoto with an empty look. Yamamoto looked back at the row of captains, "This is the girl you were all bickering about earlier. I've already decided that during her time in Gotei 13, she will be staying with the-" All the captains narrowed their eyes and listened carefully to his words, hoping in their heart that it won't be them who have to take care of this girl. "10th division" Yamamoto turned his gaze towards Hitsugaya, "I hope you'll be able to handle this girl, Hitsugaya-taichou. I'm sure she might be a great help in your division"

Hitsugaya felt the need to sigh, but forced his brain to deny the idea. "Yes, sir"

"Now then…" He looked back towards the girl. She was still standing motionlessly, and her face didn't show any sign of emotion. "Hitsugaya-taichou will be giving you a nameless sword later on. I'm sure you understand that even if we have decided to let you have a bit of freedom…" Yamamoto opened his eyes a bit to give the girl a warning look, "We still have no full faith in your controls. There for, your sword will remain sealed and kept away from you, is that understood?" The girl met his gaze and seemed to be unfazed by it. She nodded in reply, "Very well. The rest will be explained by Hitsugaya-taichou later on, you are dismissed" The girl bowed before turning around. The two guards opened the door and began escorting her again.

"Well…" Ukitake was the first to break the silence. "She's quite an _'interesting' _one, isn't she?"

"If by _'interesting'_ you mean awfully _'quiet'_, then I'd agree" Komamura responded.

"Has she always been that way?"

"Yes, actually" Yamamoto began explaining her situation. "Before she became a prisoner, she wasn't much of a talker either not that she could be" Yamamoto didn't see the slight questioning looks he was receiving. "Though after her stay in the dungeon, she became less violent and now her soul has become quite…_fragile_, if you'd put it"

"You mean she turned _soft_?"

"Yes, Zaraki. She turned _soft_"

Ukitake furrowed his eyebrows before talking again, "She seems almost…harmless. If it wasn't for you telling us she was a criminal, I'd never thought such an innocent looking girl would ever dare to even hurt a fly"

"Yes, well, appearances can be deceiving… Hear that, Zaraki?"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you"

The others decided to just let the two have their little fight. Hitsugaya looked at Yamamoto with a hard gaze, "Soutaichou, exactly what am I supposed to do with that girl?"

"It's quite simple actually. All you have to do is try to get closer to her and observe her. I want to know how much she's changed after the last time I saw her in duty" The air in that room suddenly became more suspense, "She used to be an assassin, a blood thirsty demon. It happened such a long time ago, but I could remember of how she was hired to try and steal the King's Seal…and nearly succeeded" All sounds disappeared from that room and the only thing left to be heard was Yamamoto's voice. "If I hadn't stopped her myself, she would've completed her mission and placing all of Soul Society in danger"

"She was that good?"

"Yes" The suspense didn't die down until… "But, we never really knew her personality. So all I can give you is a good luck and hope that she doesn't somehow manages to destroy your division in the process"

"What?"

"Meeting dismissed!"

**-In the 10th Division-**

The girl gazed straight ahead to the closed window of the office, not bothering the strange gaze she was receiving from others in the office. The two guards has left her in the office in the hands of the 3rd seat to wait until Hitsugaya-taichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou returns from the meeting. News spread as fast as light around seireitei. And a news of how a criminal who was supposed to spent a lifetime in prison to suddenly be released and placed in the 10th division, that kind of news spreads even faster than light.

All eyes were looking at the girl and examining her from top to bottom. Aside from all the stories they've all heard about her, there was nothing scary or threatening about this girl's appearance. In fact, she looked amazing. She has long dark hair that was tied up but seemed to be long enough to reach the middle of her back, it fell nicely down her back. Her skin was as pale as snow, probably because of lack of sunshine during her stay in the dungeon, but it complemented her eyes perfectly. They couldn't get to see her from front but, her eyes was something easy to catch even from the side. The were a beautiful color of purple, even if they were empty, the sun's light was reflected in her orbs clearly. She was quite small, probably as small as Hitsugaya-taichou, and her frame was flawless. People would probably imagine this girl to be taller but, if she puts on an innocent look...she'd look adorable!

The girl blinked a couple of times before turning her head and looking towards the crowd of people gathered behind the slightly open door of the office. They all panicked a bit before closing the door shut and escaping the girl's heart melting gaze. There was only one word in her head,_ 'Idiots'_

**Hey, there! So in case you haven't notice, Nakamura-san is the type of girl who has a really great appearance, but couldn't careless about it. And she's also the cold and quiet type. Plus, there's a reason why she's always so quiet. Don't worry! I'll get her to talk later... Isn't that right, Nakamura-san? *looks at the girl with a wide smile**

***nod**

***sweat dropped**

**Anyway... Please review! Please! Anyone who reviews will be count as my favorites! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! You know, I didn't actually think I'd be able to find a way to actually put myself in front of the computer and updated this, considering the fact that I am totally busy! But, just to know if this fanfic is a success or not, I pushed myself to at least try to update!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach  
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**Chapter 2**

Hitsugaya was concentrating on his paperwork, but this was proven hard to do if his lieutenant keeps bickering about their new member. "Matsumoto, Will you just calm down? Soutaichou said our job is merely to observe her…and what you're doing is more to stalking"

It has been two days since that girl was sent to the 10th division, and during that time Matsumoto has been constantly spying on her. She's using binoculars from the office window and following her every move, "But, Taichou! Do you know how creepy she is?"

"Not as creepy as you"

"Not true! She's way creepier!" Hitsugaya looked up from his paperwork, "She doesn't do anything all day! Usually she just sits in her room and looking at the wall with an empty look or she'll just draw some scribbles on paper and read books, she doesn't even come out to eat! I asked her about herself once, but she doesn't even answer me when I asked her what her name was! How rude is that?"

"She must've gotten used to being locked up in that dungeon" Hitsugaya placed down his brush and stood from his desk. He walked pass Matsumoto and stopped at the door before glancing back, "Well? Are you coming or not?"

Matsumoto jumped from the sofa before throwing the binoculars back to the table, completely ignoring the loud crash. "Coming!"

**-In Nakamura's Room-**

The girl was leaning against the wall while looking down to the book in her hand. She looked up when she felt two familiar reiatsu approaching her room. She stared at her door for a bit before closing her book and placing it back on her table. She stood up and began walking towards the door.

She hesitated for a bit before taking hold of the door's frame and sliding it open. What she wasn't really expecting was to have a woman falling as she was leaning to her door, and out of reflex she moved out of the way just in time to allow the woman to fall face first to the floor.

"Ouwie!" Matsumoto wince in pain as she rubbed her nose. She looked up and met an unfazed gaze of the said girl. She didn't say anything; she merely offered her hand which Matsumoto gladly accept. She stood up and rubbed her back before looking back at the girl, "…You don't have any comments of this?"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows before shaking her head. Matsumoto turned and pulled her captain into the room before pointing towards the girl, "See!"

Hitsugaya look back towards the girl, who merely shrugged in reply. Hitsugaya look back at Matsumoto, "Matsumoto you should go back to the office before you cause any more damage here"

"Me? Causing Damage? Taichou, how could you-"

"You can go drinking of you want"

"See you later, Taichou!" The strawberry blonde wasted no time to wait for her captain to change his mind before sprinting towards a random direction, as to where she would somehow find an empty bar for her to drink in along with her buddies.

The small room was suddenly filled with an incredibly uncomfortable silence, in Hitsugaya's case anyway. "So…" Hitsugaya was finding it quite difficult to talk to this girl, especially the fact that she was looking straight at him. He raised his eyebrows slightly, "…what happened to your arm?" He said while pointing towards the girl's left arm.

Hitsugaya stepped closer and took her left hand; her arm was completely bleeding. He narrowed his eyes before looking back at her, "Doesn't it hurt?" She shook her head lightly. He had a thought in his head, and without realizing it he ended up speaking it out loud for the girl to hear, "Do you ever talk?" He widened his eyes.

He was about to apologize when the girl answered, "I don't find it necessary to talk to people that I barely know"

'_Well she's a cold one'_

"And just so you know, it's a normal for my old wounds to keep reopening" She said before taking her hand back from him.

"You're saying that as if it's a daily basis" She looked back at me with a dumbfounded look. "You're not very fond of people, are you?"

"I can clearly see why they call you a _child prodigy_" She looked away from me and sits back beside her table. I sighed before deciding to join her. I caught a glimpse of her across the table, and she didn't seem to mind that I was there.

"Why have your lieutenant been spying on me? I can't even read my book without her constantly looking through your office window with those binoculars, that I don't even want to know where she got from; it annoys me to no end"

"...How did you know she was spying on you?" This girl certainly is sharp, I had to admit that.

She turned her gaze back to the open book on her lap again and completely ignoring my question. I sighed in annoyance; she was going to be a very hard one to get used to. I gazed around her room, it was quite empty and plane. I was just glad to know that she's not the type to create a mess. Her room was like any others, and since she's been living in a dungeon she doesn't exactly have any belongings.

I looked back towards the girl herself before narrowing my eyes. Nakamura Keiko. Her name was already erased from history, but the elders would still be able to recall her crimes. She was known throughout Rukongai for various murders and crimes, and none of their efforts was enough to bring her in. Even though she was known very well for her crimes, no one actually knew her past or why she became what she is. It's hard to believe that she was now at the mercy of seireitei and its rules, after all those times that she always managed to find a way out of any situation.

"Nakamura-san" She didn't look up from her book, but I knew she heard me. "Would you mind coming with me for a second?" I managed to get a glimpse of her looking towards me before back to her book.

"Where?"

**-Half an Hour Later-**

"Do I need to ask?"

"You haven't been out of your room for two days and you practically spent a century in your cell; you need to get out more"

"Look who's talking" She looked at the window with an uninterested look, "If you wanted to observe me, you could've just done it anytime" I was about to respond when she spoke again, "That also includes you trying to be-friends me"

I closed my mouth, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. I sighed; this girl was impossible to deal with. I brought her out of that room because of how I saw her earlier, it's pretty clear she doesn't like socializing and I intend to change that. I know she just got out of prison but, that's still no excuse for me to not worry for her well-being; not that I care that much. It's just that…

I looked to the side a bit to catch a glimpse of her. She was sitting with her legs crossed above one another and that book by in her hand. Her hair wasn't tied up into a high ponytail, instead it fell to her left shoulder and fell freely the rest of the way. She seemed relaxed in the restaurant's quiet atmosphere, but it couldn't cover up of how pale her skin was. She might have gotten sick; she looked like Ukitake during one of his cold.

"Are you normally that pale?" I asked after admitting that I had to know before I get even more curious.

"Yes" She answered bluntly.

She didn't even look up! My eye twitched in annoyance, she hadn't said a single thing that's actually nice for a change. Everything that came out of her mouth sounded emotionless and cold, well, it sounded like me but hers was a bit worse.

The rest of the night was exactly as it was at that moment, quiet. Even so, I managed to learn a couple obvious things about her:

**She hates socializing**

**She hates people who are cheery and childish**

**She is extremely observant (I mean **_**really**_** observant, it scares me a bit)**

**She finds no meaning in friendly conversation**

We were both already walking back to the 10th division barracks by the time the sky turned dark. We were walking through the long alleyways of seireitei, I've never noticed how complicated the structure around seireitei was until now. Though I find it quite amazing that even though the last time she walked through these streets was probably a century ago, she seemed to know where she's going.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye. For some odd reason, it was hard not to look at this girl. She was…different. She was quiet, cold, and never shows any emotion as far as I've known her and as far as the elders have told me. But Yamamoto said they never really knew anything about her past, this was what brought up my curiosity.

I was so locked up in my own thought that I didn't see her eyes moved towards me before looking back straight ahead, "What are you thinking about?"

I widened my eyes before looking back straight ahead, "It's nothing"

Our trip was soundless again after that. I didn't have anything important in my mind. I don't get it either but, I can't seem to think straight with this girl near me. She doesn't bother me that much or anything, and to my surprise she's the same height as me. So my height issues don't count in this case.

We parted as she walked back towards her room and I headed back to the office, I knew I had a lot of work to finish before sleep…at least try to finish. I seated myself in my chair before sighing and looking at the pile of paperwork blocking my view, "I wonder if I'll be able to sleep at all tonight"

I turned my chair and looked out the window; I could see a great view of the 10th division. All the lights were off except one in particular. A small window was still open with someone sitting at the edge of the frame; they didn't seem to be unbalanced so it was alright. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look, and end up recognizing the person. "Nakamura? What is she doing?"

She seemed to just be sitting there and looking up at the sky. I stepped forward and narrowed my eyes, only to end up taking a step back in disbelief. My eyes were wide as I recall the short moment that I managed to catch a glimpse of. Was she… "Something tells me she might kill me if she knew I saw that"

**-Nakamura's Room-**

I couldn't resist the urging wind coming from my open window. I found myself already sitting on its frame and gazing up at the stars. It was a beautiful sight. I missed it, I missed this feeling. I haven't felt this free in such a long time even if, I'm still chained. Those stars looked like small glimpse of light that's starting to be swallowed by the darkness of the night sky but refused to accept it.

I scoffed, "What foolish thoughts"

I ignored the sudden rush of pain surging inside me as my surroundings turned pitch black in my sight. I could hear soft footsteps approaching, but I didn't bother to turn around. The footsteps stopped behind me as a voice spoken, "Yes, they are foolish. But wouldn't you like to dream of having such foolish thoughts as well?" The voice was of a man's voice. It was deep and soft, and I can't remember the last time I've heard it. His steps resound and became closer towards me before I realized it, I could already feel arms wrapped around me. "You'd give anything to be able to dream again, wouldn't you?" His voice was soothing and stern. His warm breath brushed against my neck.

"No" I could practically hear a smirk appear across his face. "If I had a dream, it would probably be of that night"

My sight was soon filled with white petals blowing through before they disappeared out of my sight. The arms wrapped around me tightened before I could hear that voice one last time, "Don't make the same mistake twice, Mistress"

**Hmmm... You know, I've been thinking. Does it makes sense that a girl's zanpakuto is a man and a man's zanpakuto is a woman? Is there a rule in that or something? Oh, god! I hope not!**

**Anyway... Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the next chapter... Well, I don't have anything else to say right now so... Please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach  
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**Chapter 3**

"Whoa! What are you doing in here?" Matsumoto yelled as she pointed towards the girl sitting near the coffee table.

"It isn't polite to point" She said simply without paying her a glance as she continued to read the paper in her hand.

Matsumoto pouted before looking back at her captain, "Well?"

Hitsugaya sighed before placing down the form he was currently reading, "It's obvious you won't be doing your paperwork anytime soon, but the fact that I need someone's help with it doesn't change. And since Nakamura has nothing to do, I've asked her to help me for the time being"

Matsumoto blinked a couple of times before standing straight, "So…are you saying I can leave?"

"No, not exactly, you're still welcome to stay and help-"

"See you around, Taichou!" The cheerful lieutenant quickly made an escape through the open window.

Hitsugaya sighed before turning back towards his paperwork. It managed to decrease a great amount during the last couple of hours, quite a rare thing. He took a glance up towards the girl sitting on the sofa near the coffee table.

Her hair was tied up into a ponytail again but this time most of it was curled up and only leaving some strands to fell loosely, her bangs were also pulled to the side by a small hairclip. He could also see that her left arm was still bandaged as it was yesterday. It was clear now under the sunlight, her skin really was as pale as snow.

"Is there something you need?"

He widened his eyes when he realized he was already staring at her, "N-No" He turned back towards the paper on his desk. _'How did she know I was looking at her?'_

"Instinct" Keiko said as if reading Hitsugaya's mind.

"You certainly have a very sharp one" He said while writing something down to the paper. She was a hard worker he had to admit that, not to mention she's smart. _'Why can't she have been sent to the 12__th__ division instead? Or maybe some other division that might need her more than I do'_

"You wished that I was sent to a different division, don't you?"

Hitsugaya looked up with narrowed eyes as he met the girl's emotionless gaze, "Do you happen to be able to read thought as well?"

"No, but that would come in handy, wouldn't it?" She looked back towards the next paper in line. "I don't think the captain of the 12th division would've approved of me in his division though, he'd probably kick me out in the first day"

Hitsugaya furrowed his eyebrows and sweat dropped, is she sure that she can't read minds? "…You're starting to get on my nerves"

She stopped what she was doing and looked at Hitsugaya with an unreadable expression, "You're a very kind person, Hitsugaya-taichou" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of subject. "You care dearly for those who are close to you and you cherish your friendship with others deeply, it's something quite admirable. Though some might mistake you for a cold person…"

"Where have I heard that before?" He said before looking away.

"…I wonder if you can actually spare that same consideration towards someone like me" She said as her voice grew quitter.

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows slightly before looking back towards the girl; she was already focused back to the paperwork in her lap. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to see the girl's face to see her expression. He shook his head lightly before looking back towards his paperwork, unaware of the girl's gaze towards him.

I meant what I said. I admitted the fact that he is very kind in more ways than one, and I admitted that I admired that side of him. But I didn't realize, that I've said that I wanted him to consider me as his own friend. My mouth moved and my mind wasn't working properly. I felt relieved that he wasn't pushing the subject further. _'That was quite a mistake I've made'_

'_**Has my Mistress decided to try and make friends again?'**_

I narrowed my eyes at the male voice that's resound in my mind, _'Since when do you find it enjoyable to talk to me again?'_

'_**Since you've changed'**_ His voice was smooth and clear, though it also brings back old forgotten memories back inside my self-conscious. I glanced back at him; he was still concentrating on his work and failing terribly.

I've heard stories of him, how he was as a child and how he grew up to be the youngest captain in the history of seireitei. He was treated horribly as a child because of something so insignificant, his odd appearance. He entered Shino Academy, along with his childhood friend, Hinamori Momo. Hinamori received the title lieutenant of the 5th division, and her former captain was a traitor of Soul Society. I could imagine how he felt when Hinamori tried to attack him because she was manipulated by Aizen, and how guilty he felt when he stabbed her in the chest with his own two hands.

I said before looking back down, "Hitsugaya-taichou"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a crush on Hinamori Momo?" I raised my head when I heard a crash. His chair wasn't standing anymore and he was already on the ground wincing in pain while rubbing his head. I stared at him for a bit before looking away, "I know you might react in an odd way that would be completely out of character for you but, I never thought it'd be that amusing to watch"

"You're saying it so lightly!" He said while standing up and placing his palms on his desk for support. "And why did you have to bring that up anyway?"

"Oh… So you admit you have a crush on her"

"I never said that!" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away before speaking again, "It's just that she's a really good friend of mine and I care for her wellbeing. In any case, how do you even know her?" The blush on his cheeks was obvious, too obvious. It was like black ink on a white piece of paper.

I raised a finger to my cheek, "Hinamori Momo, 5th division lieutenant. Isn't it normal for someone to know the names of lieutenants and captains of the Gotei 13?"

"I meant, how did you know that I had any connections with her" He said and I could see that his patients was going over his edge.

"Well, even if I was in jail during your time as a captain, I had to keep up with news around here" I never knew how much fun it was to mess around with the captains. "I take it you're the _'adorable little captain'_ that made such a big fuss all over seireitei"

"_Adorable_?" His voice sounded dark and annoyed.

"Yes, well, I don't think I want you to recall any bad memories. You can ignore my question earlier if you'd like"

"...What do you mean bad memories?"

I placed down the brush in my hand and flipped the document closed before turning my gaze towards him. I gave him a blank look, "You honestly don't recall what happened during the Winter War? It's already been resolved years ago, I doubt I should remind you…considering it's impossible for you to have forgotten" I saw how his expression changed drastically, it turned into one filled with guilt and regret. I sighed in his reaction, "I can't believe you'd still make that kind of expression at the reminder of that accident"

"Would you understand how I felt?"

I turned silent before looking back to the document in my hand, "You have no idea what I've endured in my life" My voice was low and quiet, though I'm not sure either he heard it or not. The rest of the day was filled with the usual uncomfortable silence, one that I have gotten used to.

The two continued to work without glancing at each other or bother to make a conversation, actually one didn't bother to and the other was struggling to find the right topic, which in this case happens to be Hitsugaya. He couldn't concentrate after being reminded of his mistake during the Winter War, even though he has apologized to Momo and they both have already decided to move on, the memory of it still bothers him. He glanced up a bit to see that Keiko was almost finished. Right now he just wanted to not be in the same room as that girl, something about her just seems to bother him to no end. And the silence that grew whenever they are alone continues to make him feel anxious.

"How did it feel for you?" He looked up when he heard the girl's voice, though it somehow seemed a lot softer and her usual mocking tone was gone.

He answered her question with another question, "What did?"

She turned quiet for a bit before answering, "When you nearly took her life away because someone else was manipulating you?"

He thought about her question, though the answer was obvious. "Of course I felt horrible" He furrowed his eyebrows before continuing, "Though I'm glad we managed to work things out in the end. She forgives me for it, and I never got mad at her when she attacked me. I guess since nothing horrible happened afterwards towards our friendship…it was just fine"

"I see" Her dark bangs fell down and covered her left eye, while a flash of memory went through her mind. Her mouth felt bitter, "What would you do if…you did kill her?"

Hitsugaya turned stiff and stopped his hand movement. _'If I killed her?'_ He narrowed his eyes as his grip on his brush tightened until his hand began to turn white. His mind turned empty at the thought of him taking his best friend's life away, and not get the chance to apologize. During that period of time, they were having complications in their relationship. It was hard to imagine what would've happened to his mental if something like that happened.

He didn't realize how quiet he's turned, and how Keiko seemed to notice that her question made the exact reaction she was expecting out of him. _'He's so predictable'_ she stood up and placed all the paperwork back to the lieutenant's desk. She didn't bother to look back to see if Hitsugaya decided to answer her question or not, she knew he could answer it. She took hold of the door frame, and before she stepped out. "Hitsugaya-taichou" She could feel his gaze fell to her back, "You should be careful. Take care of your friends, alright?" After that, she stepped out leaving Hitsugaya to wonder in his own thoughts as to her last words.

Keiko walked through the halls of the 10th division and struggled a bit to find her way back to her room, thanks to the wincing pain in her left arm that just wouldn't die down.

'_**It's quite rare to see you show any more sympathy to others like that, Mistress'**_

She find it difficult to ignore that voice, _'My emotions is none of your concern'_

'_**I beg to diver'**_ She could hear his dark chuckle before it disappeared along with her zanpakuto's voice.

She raised her head and looked to the side, the sun was setting. She let her gaze harden as she watched the sun disappeared, "...Why can't I just forget?"

**Congratulations! You have just finished reading the 2nd chapter of Whispers of the Shadow! And as your prize...you can just read the 3rd chapter without any wait! Plus all your criticism will always be welcome here!**

**Please Review!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Now I've noticed that some of the reviews say that I'm not using the right punctuations. Well, I'd love to fix that I really would but...I don't have the first clue what punctuations are. The only thing I do know about it is the fact that is sounds funny, Punctuations!**

**Ehmm... Moving along. Please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
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**Chapter 4**

Keiko sighed before opening the small book in her hand. The page she opened had pictures of various symbols and ancient writings, ones that she somehow managed to understand. She turned to the side and stared blankly at the scene. Hinamori Momo was talking to Hitsugaya, something about him never coming for a visit.

"I keep telling you, Momo. I can't visit because I'm always busy with these!" He said while bringing up a piece of paperwork up to her face.

She pushed it aside and looked at him straight in the eye, "That's always your excuse! You can't possibly be that busy anymore since you've got someone to help you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Her!" She exclaimed loudly while pointing towards Keiko, who in exchange merely looked away and ignored them.

She didn't want to be dragged into any of this. It's true that she's always coming around to the office, but that's because she could sit on the comfy sofa and read peacefully, today was an exception.

"She doesn't help me permanently, only when she wants to and only when I really need her help" He answered before looking back down to the piece of paper on his desk. He glanced up slightly, "And don't you have anything else to do other than bother me?"

She shrugged, "Not really. Except…" She suddenly turned quiet and her expression turned into one filled with panic. "OH, GOD! I COMPLETELY FORGOT!" She turned around and sprinted towards the door pausing for a second and looked back towards him, "See you around, Shiro-chan!" She said before slamming the door shut behind her.

Hitsugaya sighed in annoyance. She promised that she wouldn't call him that anymore if he manages to get a higher title than her, but it was obviously foolish for him to actually believe that she'd stop.

"Shiro-chan?"

He looked towards the sofa and saw Keiko with her head on her crossed arms that were placed on top of the sofa. Her ponytail fell to her left shoulder slightly while some fell to her back. "Never speak of it"

"Doesn't Ukitake-taichou have white hair like you as well?"

"Yes… I don't really want to talk about it"

"Why not?"

"I just don't"

"Don't you have a reason for it?"

"I just don't like talking about it. I hate being called that and I don't like the fact that some people always thought I'm a kid because my lack in height…" Hitsugaya paused in his words before he looked to the side, "…I can't believe I just admitted that"

"In case you haven't noticed, I happen to be the same height as you" Keiko said, her voice rise a bit.

Hitsugaya took a glance towards the girl, who was still sending him that cold look. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I hope you're not expecting some kind of prove" She said, though the annoyed tone never left her words.

"No…not really…well, maybe-"

"No" She turned back and let her back face the captain. There was a slight moment of pause before she spoke again, "I think that's a cute nickname"

Hitsugaya widened his eyes before he snapped his head up towards the girl. He stared at her backside in disbelief at what she just said. "What?"

"I just said it's a cute nickname, it's no big deal" She glanced back towards him, "Don't get too excited just because I decided to say something like that" Her gaze turned harder and colder, "I don't like the fact that you actually thought that I wasn't capable of saying and thinking of such things"

"No, it's just that…that was kind of unexpected out of you"

"What's the difference?" She narrowed her eyes before turning back again, "Maybe I should just start calling you 'Shiro-chan' instead of 'Hitsugaya-taichou'; that does sound a lot easier and a lot less of a mouthful, doesn't it?"

"...You wouldn't dare"

Keiko looked back at him, "Why not, Shiro-chan?" To her surprise, it sounded nice to call him that, mostly because it would annoy him.

**-Later That Day-**

Keiko hummed a bit as she held one of her other books. She leaned against the wall of her room; a pencil in her other hand. Her eyes were locked to the book as her fingers played with the pencil in her hand.

**_'What are you doing now, Mistress?'_**

She nearly snapped the innocent pencil in half when the male voice suddenly resounds in her head. She sighed and placed down the pencil, _'None of your business'_

There was a slight chuckle, **_'You're so predictable at times__, and it always amuses me for some reason'_**

Her eye twitched in annoyance, _'If it was actually possible, you sound even more annoying than usual'_

**_'Oh? I'm annoying you, am I? You called that Hitsugaya guy 'Shiro-chan' because you were annoyed by him, weren't you?'_**

Keiko stopped her hand and closed the book, _'What do you want?'_

She could practically see that smirk appear on his face.**_ 'I'll just get to the point'_** His voice changed slightly, **_'You haven't taken my sword form yet?'_**

_'No' _Her answer was blunt and straight forward._  
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**_'Why not?'_**

_'Because, I don't want to'_

There was a slight pause,**_ 'You sound like a spoiled brat'_**

_'Maybe because I just want to act as a spoiled brat right now'_

**_'…Fair enough'_**

She widened her eyes when a sudden rush of pain run through her body and mostly ran down her left arm. She gripped her arm tightly and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming. She could barely keep both her eyes open as the air around her suddenly became heavy, pushing her to the ground.

She gasped for breath and placed her palm to the surface of the table as support as the other one kept a firm hold of her wincing arm. She narrowed her eyes and brought her head down.

**_'You do you know you haven't finished our agreement yet, don't you?'_** This time her zanpakuto's voice sounded dead cold and heartless.

She gritted her teeth and tried to held back her emotions from bursting, "Yes, I know" She let her head dunked lower as the pain intense, "How could I forget?"

**-Somewhere in the 1st Division-**

Yamamoto searched through the piles of boxes until he found the normal path towards the back of the dusty room, where he could see a single black box placed aside from all the other boxes. He walked closer towards it and examined the box closely.

It was mostly pure black, aside from the golden and white symbols on its sides and corners. The box was as long as a normal katana, maybe a bit longer.

He narrowed his eyes before reaching inside his robes and pulling out a key. He unlocked the box and lifted the top slightly; even so he could already feel the sudden rise of reiatsu around him. He looked inside and saw a very familiar sword rests inside it. It was inside a black sheath and was surrounded by what seemed to be red rose petals.

"I can't believe they didn't label this box" He said with a slight grunt. "I can't seem to recall its name either. What was it?"

The sword seemed to be giving off a slight dark glow, which was unnoticeable to Yamamoto and practically others. The sword was sealed off with a powerful kido so that none of its energy leak out. This sword, is Keiko's zanpakuto.

After she was placed in prison, her zanpakuto was kept away from her and sealed in this room. Yamamoto himself had to admit the power of her zanpakuto was admirable, the down side is the fact that back then she was using it for a purpose that would endanger all of Soul Society. Her powers would match a captain easily, though she was seen to be more fond of using her own speed and strength instead of her sword. Because of this, they never knew if either she has or hasn't reached Bankai level.

"Even without Bankai, she was already a great threat" Yamamoto said as his memories played back to the day he fought her personally.

He placed down the box and took the key, placing it back in his sleeve. He turned to take his leave, deciding that he just couldn't take anymore dust and dirt in that small damp room.

Once he was back in his office, he began searching through his book shelves for a specific book. He turned and saw his lieutenant walked into the room with an exhausted look, "Sasakibe, have you seen the black book that's usually on top of the book shelves?"

The said lieutenant looked at him with a questioning look, "I'm sorry, Soutaichou. But I don't recall ever noticing that kind of book before"

"I see"

_'That girl'_ Yamamoto narrowed his eyes as he gazed out the window. _'What a reckless girl she is'_

**Okay, ehm... It's not that I'm losing interest or anything but it's just that I can't find the right material for this chapter so I had no choice but to just let it be a...short one. Yeah... I'll be back with a better chapter, I promise!**

**Please review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Okay, so I'm actually more excited than usual because I've got some chapters finished and I can get my internet connected again... WOO HOO! Ehm... Right, now then. This chapter is basically where I'll start telling you about Keiko's past, well, let's just say I'll start in the next chapter. Okay, Please enjoy this chapter!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach  
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**Chapter 5**

Yamamoto searched through the dusty cabinets for the right box. He could've just sent his lieutenant, if he wasn't on a mission in the World of Living. He coughed a bit when some of the dust found their way inside his mouth, "I'm too old for this" He said with slight regret for actually admitting it.

He couldn't help but felt relieved when the black box he's been looking for came into his reach. He grabbed it and quickly exited the room, deciding that he couldn't handle another minute in that horrid place.

He looked down towards the box in his hand. It was black with golden symbols on its sides and decorating its corners. He opened it and stared blankly at the black fabric that was folded neatly inside. He sighed before closing the box and walking towards his office. "Since she's free now, I suppose there's no harm in letting her have this back"

He seated himself in his chair and calmed his nerves. He looked up when he heard someone walked in, his lieutenant. "Sasakibe, have you finished your mission?"

"Yes, sir, I managed to finish it earlier than expectation" He saw the box resting on his desk and asked, "What is that?"

"I'm glad you asked" Yamamoto pushed the box towards him, "I need you to deliver that to someone"

**-In the 10****th**** Division Office-**

"You do know that you're supposed to be at the Shino Academy today, right?" Keiko asked as she read one of the finished paperwork.

Hitsugaya hummed a bit before answering with the least bit of interest, "Don't feel like going anywhere today"

"…Hitsugaya-taichou" Keiko called out from her comfortable position on the sofa.

"Yes?" Hitsugaya answered, though his voice sounded dark and tired. He hasn't sleep for 3 days straight and the pile of paperwork on his desk doesn't seem to be decreasing, probably due to the fact that tons more come in every day.

Keiko turned back and looked at him, "Are you sure you're alright? You look as pale as a ghost, and I don't mean the good kind" She said before standing up and walking towards his desk.

"Yes, I'm sure" He said without even looking up. He widened his eyes slightly when he felt a soft touch against his cheek. He looked up and saw Keiko's face right in front of him, her purple orbs staring straight into his turquoise ones. Her thumb softly brushed against his cheek, "W-What are you doing?"

She brought her hand to his forehead and furrowed her eyebrows, actually looking concerned of the white haired captain. "You're temperature is rising, and you're skin is turning pale, though your cheeks seem to be burning up" She leaned even closer so that their faces were only a few centimeter apart, "You obviously have a fever"

Hitsugaya felt heat rise to his cheeks, probably what made his cheeks looked red. He shivered a bit when her fingers were brought down to his neck, making it hard for him to gulp like he intended to do. He furrowed his eyebrows before pushing his chair back, returning the space between them. "I'm fine"

She paused, "Really?" She said as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

Hitsugaya gulped. For some reason, the way she was looking at him made him want to just tell her the truth and admit the fact that he was sick, exhausted, and completely whipped out.

She sighed and shook her head lightly before standing straight in front of his desk, "Fine, if you say you're alright then I'll just take your word for it. But I don't want to see you suddenly passing out during your work or something like that. If you need help, just ask for me, alright?" The look of worry didn't leave her face, and her voice sounded smooth and soothing.

Hitsugaya was actually stunned by the fact that she was actually worried about him. He turned his face back to his normal look and nodded, "I'll be fine, I promise"

She nodded, though she didn't seem to be quite satisfied by his answer. He felt a sudden rush of guilt burn through his core when she turned around with that look in her eyes.

He sighed mentally, "Nakamura"

"Yes?" She said before sitting down on the sofa with that soft expression gone from her face without a trace, suppose that was a once in a life time opportunity.

"I-I was wondering…" Hitsugaya paused in his words and tried to find the right subject to be brought up at the moment. He looked away before speaking again, "…Do you ever smile or laugh, at all?"

She stopped and let her gaze locked towards the paper in her hand, its edges were turning a bit crumbled because of the sudden force in her grip. "Why do you want to know something like that?"

"Well, it's just that I don't think I've ever seen you actually change your expression"

"…Is that so?" Her gaze turned softer and her hand began to move again. "I might tell you about that later on"

Hitsugaya furrowed his eyebrows before looking up towards the girl with a questioning look, "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all"

The two looked up when they heard soft knocking on the door. "Excuse me, Hitsugaya-taichou"

Recognizing the 1st division's lieutenant's voice he looked towards the door with a bored look, "You may come in, Sasakibe-fukutaichou"

The doors slid open and the said lieutenant stepped in, bowing in respect. He looked up with his signature look, "I have something from Yamamoto-soutaichou; he told me to give this to-" He paused in his words and turned his gaze to the girl sitting on the sofa before back towards Hitsugaya. "I suppose I can just hand it to her directly?"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow before giving the girl a slight gaze, "Hand her what, exactly?"

Sasakibe brought the black box up so Hitsugaya and Keiko could see it, "I'm not sure what it is. Yamamoto-soutaichou merely instructed me to bring this to her"

Keiko stood and walked towards the lieutenant; taking the box from him. She lifted the box slightly before narrowing her eyes. She closed it tightly before sighing, "I actually wouldn't mind if he just held on to this for me"

The two men in the room raised their eyebrows and gave her questioning looks, "What is that?"

She turned towards them with a blank look and a deep frown on her face, "My uniform"

**-Meanwhile Somewhere Else-**

There was soft humming that could be heard throughout the dark and empty area. The woman had lime green hair that reached her neck and her eyes were the same color. She sat comfortably on the chair she broke a couple of minutes ago. She threw her head back and stared at the sky, "I'm so bored! There's nothing fun to do"

"Isn't that how it's always been for you?" A man stepped out of the shadow. He had had dark hair and his eyes were just as dark. "Why did you even need to slaughter this worthless gathering?"

The woman shrugged, "I don't know, to satisfy my boredom I guess"

"It's obvious there's something else you want other than mere amusement here" The man said as he walked closer towards her, stopping right next to her.

She looked up towards him and smirked, "Well, for one you're right about that" She stood and walked towards the center of the pool of blood, where a body was lying dead cold. She kneeled down and poked the body on the chest, "He was supposed to have it with him. Not sure why he doesn't have it with him anymore"

The man kneeled down next to her. He placed a hand on his neck to check his vitals, "He's dead"

"Yup" She crossed her legs and leaned against the wall behind her. "He was wasting my time and he was completely worthless. I had to kill him…plus I wanted to"

The man sighed before standing up again. He shoved his hands into his pocket and looked up the destroyed ceiling, the stars were clear that night. "Something feels off"

The woman looked up as well and frowned, "Yeah, the shadows that usually covers the night sky is gone. Now the moon and stars are shining as bright as ever"

The man couldn't help but smile, "They are, aren't they?"

The woman took a glance of him from the corner of her eyes, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, nothing important" The man answered, clearly avoiding the question, he turned and began walking away from the pool of blood. He glanced back, "We should be going now before anyone notice the mess you've made"

"Okay!"

The two made their way out of the building and used shunpo to make a quick escape. The man was however, not concerned about the murder his friend just committed. He was more concerned about what she said earlier about the shadow that usually covers the night sky.

He narrowed his eyes as they quickly made their way through the forest. He raised his head and thought for a moment,_ 'It's still the crescent moon, isn't it?'  
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**-In Nakamura's Room-**

Keiko looked up the night sky while holding on tightly to the black box. She let her gaze softened as she watch the crescent moon shine brightly without anything blocking its light. "It's still the crescent moon"

'_**Can't be patient for the full moon I see'**_

Keiko looked back to the box and opened it. The inside was as black as the outside. She flipped it over and scattered through the fabric before her hand touched something a bit softer than the fabric of her uniform. She lifted it and brought it up to her eye level, a red rose. Amazingly, it was still in full bloom.

She stared at it blankly, _'For once…I have to agree with you'_

**So, do you know who those two might be? I'm not surprised if you do... Am I making it too predictable? Or boring? Or weird? Or over dramatic? Oh, no! I hope not! Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be updating again but with luck...soon.**

**Please Review!**_  
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	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! Sorry for the wait, actually right now I'm pretty much just plainly lucky to be able to update again. My fate is being over shadowed by unluckiness *sigh***

**Anyways, since I've read one of you guys saying you wanted to know how Keiko fights, I've decided that it might be a good time to give you a good picture about it, though she won't be fighting in this chapter. She'll be fighting in the next one... So, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
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**Chapter 6**

"_Are you alright?" The boy said as he offered her his hand._

_The girl looked up and met the boy's unfazed gaze. He had dark hair, and his eyes were darker than the night sky itself. He looked untrustworthy, though somehow his gaze felt soft and offered safety. She furrowed her eyebrows before nodding and taking the boy's hand._

_The boy smiled before helping her back up to her feet, "Now why would a cute little girl like you be out in this district and alone at night time?" The girl widened her eyes and looked away, his words was enough to make her loose her voice and blushed heavily. He smiled warmly before asking a different question, "What's your name?"_

_The girl hesitated for a bit before answering, "Keiko" Her voice was as soft as the first snow that fell down that night, which caused the boy to smile even more._

_Keiko furrowed her eyebrows. She realized that the boy hadn't loose his hold on her hand; instead it became tighter, though his hand felt soft nonetheless. Keiko shivered a bit under the cold night air, followed by the winter breeze. She looked up when she felt a soft touch against her cheek, "Are you cold?"_

_She hesitantly nodded to his question before stepping back slightly so she could get her personal space back. Something felt different about this boy; he was kind to her unlike others she's known, also causing a certain feeling of curiosity to appear in her heart, "Who are you?"_

_His smile turned brighter as he closed his eyes and tilted his head, "My name's-"_

Keiko's eyes snapped open and she quickly sit up on her futon; she was gasping for breath and sweating as if she just ran a marathon. She looked to the side and towards her open window, it was still dark. She brought a hand up to her chest, "That night…" She sighed and dunked her head lower to her lap as she held her head in her palms, trying to avoid any more memories to play in her mind. "Why can't I just forget?" Without her realizing it, a drop of tear rolled down her face.

**-In the 10****th**** Division Office-**

The lights of sunshine were streaming through the glass of the window. Soft sounds of blowing winds could be heard as whispers. Quite the pristine atmosphere, but there was one thing that stood out the most at the moment, and that, is the sound of a certain white haired captain softly snoring on his desk, completely whipped out from another sleepless night.

Keiko yawned slightly as she walked through the 10th division hallways. After that little dream, she couldn't and didn't dare to close her eyes for another minute of sleep, so now she's just plainly sleepy, the best way to describe it.

She stopped once she was in front of the office door. She reached for the frame of the door before pausing for a moment. She shook her head, "Looks like I'm not the only one having trouble with sleep"

She slide the door open slowly and quietly, making sure not to awake Hitsugaya from his sleep. She walked in and stopped in front of his desk, gazing down to the white haired captain. His sleeping face was so peaceful and child-like; she couldn't help but feel a certain familiarity towards this.

"Hitsugaya-taichou" She called out while poking on his arm slightly. That was proven to be a complete failure when he didn't seem to even budge. She shrugged before leaning closer to him and gazing down to the piece of paper he was sleeping on.

'_He spent the entire night working on his paperwork again…'_ She sighed and stood straight again. She looked to the side and saw all the other piles he had to go through after he woke up, _'Well, I suppose I can let him have a little sleep'_

She glanced back and saw Hitsugaya still sleeping peacefully. She leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear, "You can just take some rest, Hitsugaya-taichou. I'll take care of your paperwork until you wake up, alright?"

**-Meanwhile Somewhere Else-**

The man yawned slightly as he placed his chin on the small white table and sending an empty gaze towards the piece of paper that lay in front of him. He grunted, "I hate this…" He slammed his palm down and grabbed the document, bringing it up to his eye level. It was a simple piece of document, one that he hasn't seen in years, though he never intended to if he wasn't ordered.

"That stupid witch, why did I have to do this?" He stated out loud. He jumped slightly when the door of his room slammed open.

"Maybe because she was your responsibility from the beginning…" He paled before turning around, seeing the said woman herself standing in front of his door way. She leaned forward and pointed accusingly at him, "…She was your responsibility, wasn't she?"

He held up both his hands, "Now, now, Yume, no need to get all worked up"

"Of course there is!" Yume said before storming inside and stopping in front of the dark haired man. She gazed down at him with a murderous look, "I told you not to take her in but would you have listened to me? No! Of course you didn't! So I told you she was your and I mean _your_ responsibility alone!" She pointed towards his face while intensifying her glare, "So stop complaining and do your job!"

He blinked a couple of times while looking at her finger. He sighed in defeat before looking away, "Yes, ma'am"

"Good" The woman said before walking back towards his open door. She stopped, "Don't forget, you're still working for me…" She gazed back slightly towards him, "Yoshirou"

The man, Yoshirou, merely scoffed before nodding slightly in understanding towards his current situation. He heard the sound of an innocent door being slammed, probably his, and sighed before holding his head in his palms.

He scratched his head frantically, causing his dark hair to turn into a mess. He glanced back towards the piece of document. He took it and placed his chin on his palm while reading the form, clearly not enjoying this by the least.

His gaze softened as his eyes stopped at one point of the document, which he decided to read aloud, "Nakamura Keiko" His head was soon filled with memories, some were sweet though most of them were bitter and now brings him nothing more than regret and pain.

_KWAK!_

He glanced to the side and saw a black crow resting on the edge of his window frame. He stared at it for a bit before a toothy grin spread across his face. He walked towards the crow before patting it softly. He kneeled down and whispered, "I have something I need you to do for me"

**-Back in the 10****th**** Division Office-**

"Hmmm…Why do they even need paperwork for something like a sake bills?" She stopped and thought for a moment, "Then again if it's Matsumoto-fukutaichou…it might be necessary" Keiko said to herself as she read another form of Hitsugaya's paperwork.

She was in her usual spot on the couch while leaning back comfortably; her messy hair was placed in a high bun so it wouldn't get in the way of her sight. She sighed before placing down the piece of paper with the other finished papers.

She leaned back and gazed up the ceiling while letting out another sigh. She closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath. Her eyes were turning a bit red because of all the reading in the dark, this fact made her brought up her gaze towards the still sleeping form of the 10th division captain. She furrowed her eyebrows, _'He always reads all of this in a dark space like this all night and day…How can he not need glasses because of that habit?'_

Keiko shook her head before taking a small bite of the biscuit she took as a snack, letting it stay in her mouth while she took another piece of document and reading it.

"Hitsugaya-taichou"

She glanced up and saw the wooden door slid open, revealing the male shinigami standing on the other side of it, a stack of paperwork placed neatly in his hold. He glanced slightly at Hitsugaya before his eyes landed on the dark haired girl sitting on his couch with his paperwork. "Ummm…Is Hitsugaya-taichou-"

"Ssshh…" She said as she placed a finger in front of her lips. She placed her hand back on her lap and placed her gaze back to the paperwork, "You're the 7th one today. Hitsugaya-taichou is still resting, you can just place those on the lieutenant's desk, and I'll tell him about them later"

"A-Alright" He staggered slightly. He placed the paperwork on the lieutenant's desk, instead of leaving he just stood there like an idiot before actually saying something; "Ummm, excuse me but…" Keiko turned and saw the man holding up a piece of paper, "This is from the 12th division captain. He said he needed Hitsugaya-taichou's help as soon as possible"

Keiko nodded receiving another nod from the man before he placed the paper on the lieutenant's desk and leaving the room. Keiko stared at it for a bit before standing up and walking towards the desk, taking the piece of paper.

She read it before a sigh escaped her lips, "I sort of feel relieved that I wasn't sent to the 12th division"

She folded the piece of paper before taking a glance at the white haired captain's peaceful sleeping form, he was still sleeping and he was covered with a blanket Keiko managed to find for him. She stared at him with furrowed eyebrows, "How tired is he until he can sleep this long?"

She shook her head before placing the folded piece of paper back on the table. Something in her head was telling her to wake him up but, something else in her heart was telling her not to. She can't really imagine the tired captain taking a mission like this when he's completely exhausted.

She sighed, "I know I'm going to regret this…"

**Yeah, so did you noticed the man's name? _Yoshirou_. I purposely made his name similar to Hitsugaya's, is that weird or somewhat over-used? I really hope not!  
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**Now then, I hope you don't mind but, she'll just be fighting a regular type hollow, nothing big. I want to save the big fights for later on when she has her zanpakuto back. Until then, I'll still be spilling Keiko's past slowly... And...  
><strong>

**Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! So, here's the next chapter. Like I said before, this time she'll be fighting a hollow. Remember when Yamamoto said she rather used her own speed and strength to fight instead of her zanpakuto? Yeah, when she was an assassin, she barely ever carries her zanpakuto around. If you knew its shikai form, you'd know it's hard for her to move with it.**

**Now then, as always, Please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
><strong>

**Chapter 7**

Kurotsuchi-taichou sent a letter asking Hitsugaya-taichou to capture one of his escaped_ 'masterpiece'_, whatever that means. Keiko, seeing that Hitsugaya was knocked out cold out of exhaution, decided to just do it for him. Was it confirmed? Not really, and no, she doesn't care. All she knew was the fact that she can't really bare seeing Hitsugaya keep handling everything alone, so for once she made him stayed back...whether he wants to or not, in this case, whether he knows it or not.

She sighed, "How can a single escaped lab rat be this hard to find? It's not like the 12th division's experiments are_ that_ hard to spot"

Soon afterwards, she was already in the middle of a forest at the edge of town, quite far from civilization. She stopped at an opening where the sunshine would reach her instead of being blocked by the shades of the thick trees. "I didn't expect the 12th division to have made such a hollow that could actually shape shift into the form of a normal soul" She said without glancing back to look at the person she spoke to.

She heard a slight chuckle; she turned around and saw a man stepped out of the shade. He had a wide grin spread across his face, **"You smell a bit different than the other shinigami that went out to search for me…"** His eyes were glowing yellow as it stared straight into her purple ones, **"Why is that?"**

She scoffed, "I'd rather not be sniffed by the likes of you" She said as a reply.

He laughed, **"You certainly are a different one!"**

His laughter became harder and louder as his body began to glow and change in form. His human-like form soon disappeared as if it never existed. His body turned into the shape of a four-legged creature that's probably 10 feet tall or so, with a tail that was longer than its body's entire length put together and a sharp blade at the end. A bone white mask covered its face, it was shaped slightly like an opera mask with a crack near its left eye. **"Wonder if you're as tasty"**

It slammed its front foot to the ground, causing a small crater to form beneath it, **"So, how come you're not saying one of those things shinigami likes to say before they fight? At least **_**try**_** to"**

Keiko scoffed before looking away, "Not really my thing. I'm not exactly an official shinigami to begin with; I don't think I even have the actual right to catch you…"

"**So, you're not going to try and-"**

"But…" She glanced back towards the hollow with a murderous gaze, "You were the reason I had to stepped out of that office to bother myself for something that's probably a failed experiment" If it was possible, a vein would've appeared on the hollow's forehead. She continued, not bothering the look the hollow was giving her, "So I might as well have a little fun while I'm here"

The hollow growled and gritted its teeth, **"Why you little…" **It jumped forward with its claws outstretched, probably ready to scrape off Keiko's face in one swift move. It howled loudly as it brings down its claws, _**"I'LL KILL YOU!"**_

A smirk appeared on her face as she pulled out two small daggers from inside her robes and crossing her arms. Taking her stance and holding her position in a shielding manner, "Let's see you try"

**-Back in the 10****th**** Division Office-**

Hitsugaya yawned before rubbing his eyes with a knuckle, while trying to clear his vision. He blinked a couple of times before sitting straight. He felt something covering him and turned his head slightly to see the blanket Keiko placed over him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "How long was I asleep?" He still sounded sleepy and wary. He glanced to the side and paled when he saw the sun already setting, "I've been asleep for nearly the entire day?"

He looked back straight ahead and raised his eyebrows slightly, his paperwork were all stacked up on the coffee table. He glanced down and saw a piece of folded paper placed where his paperwork were usually stacked. He grabbed it and unfolded it. There was someone's hand writing on it, he never seen those hand writings before. He read it and knew exactly who it was from, Keiko.

_Hitsugaya-taichou, I hope you don't mind but I did some of your paperwork for you. I got here pretty early in the morning and you were knocked out cold on your desk… Guess you needed some sleep to help you grow taller so you don't stay a midget for the rest of your life._

His eye twitched slightly.

_And just so you know, it's normal for girls to be shorter than boys, so you can't use any of your insults of how I'm just as tall as you. In fact, that means you're even shorter than most boys._

A vein appeared on his forehead. He took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing to read the note.

_Kurotsuchi-taichou left you a note and I placed it on top of the lieutenant's desk, please read it when you wake up…_

There was more of the letter, but he didn't really felt like reading it out loud, so the rest of it sounded more like mumbles from his mouth. He blushed slightly before placing the piece of paper in his pocket. He looked towards the lieutenant's desk and narrowed his eyes, "That girl…"

**-Meanwhile Back in the Forest-**

Keiko jumped back a couple of feet to avoid the hollow's tail, landing soundlessly on her two feet. She looked straight, "You're pretty fast for some..._thing_ of your size"

It grinned, "Thanks for the complement" It howled loudly before bringing down its claws again, along with its tail.

Keiko narrowed her eyes before jumping forward. As if everything happened slowly, she could practically see her reflection on the hollow's blade as she passed by it, her face an inch away from being sliced. She landed on the hollow's back side, wasting not a single moment before throwing what seemed to be daggers she's been keeping in her sleeve.

The hollow screeched when the three daggers struck its back. It reached back and pulled them out, wincing slightly when the pain spread drastically. "Poison?"

"Yes" Keiko took out three small needles on each hand, holding them between her fingers. She took her stance, "It's a habit of mine to kill slowly and painfully. I hope you don't mind" She jumped up, seeing the hollow moved its tail. She scoffed before throwing the needles towards its legs.

The hollow jumped, avoiding nearly all the needles except for one that managed to strike its tail. Before it could try and pull it out, it dissolved into its skin while the other ones disappeared. It growled, "Is that the best you can do?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Don't underestimate me" She said before turning her position so she'd gain speed as she fell down.

The hollow widened its eyes when it suddenly felt numb around its tail, unable to move it by an inch. It turned into a burden that's keeping it on the ground. It looked up and widened his eyes before pain surged through its chest.

Keiko jumped back avoiding the hollow's claws as she landed a couple of feet away from the hollow. She stood, her sword unsheathed and her blade reflecting the blinding sunlight. She smirked, "You really are fast" She licked her lip and the taste of blood hit her tongue. She was hit. She wiped the blood off with her sleeve before a grin spread across her face, "Guess I'm the one that's gotten slower"

The hollow gritted its teeth before it caught the sight of something from the corner of its eyes. It grinned, "Let's see how fast you are"

The hollow brought down its tail but instead of aiming for Keiko, it passed right next to her and aimed for something else. Keiko turned and widened her eyes when she saw where it was aiming.

"Eh?"

'_I'm really going to regret this, aren't I?'_ Keiko gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, without giving a second thought she jumped back.

'_**Yes, you probably will'**_

Everything happened so fast it all seemed like a blur. There was a sound of flesh being cut by metal, probably the blade, and the sound of dripping liquid. Keiko could only feel slight warmth hit her body before opening her mouth as one word escaped her lips, "Darn..."

**-An Hour Later-**

Hitsugaya had his eyes narrowed and his mouth in a firm line as he stomped his feet along the way. He was strolling down the halls of the 4th division, currently in the west part where their patients are usually placed. He; was looking for one patient in particular.

The members of the 4th division directed him to a room at the far end of the division building, where he would find a certain black haired girl that just happens to be his responsibility.

"Nakamura-san, you have a visitor" One of the members called out from outside the wooden door.

"Sure"

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes when Keiko's soft voice ringed into his ears. He stepped in, though the shinigami behind him seemed to know that it wouldn't be wise to follow, so she turned and walked away.

Hitsugaya glared daggers at the girl in front of him, "You really messed up, you know?"

Keiko looked back at him with an unfazed look. She was wearing a plain white kimono and she was bandaged around her chest and all the way down to her abdomen. She let her gaze softened at the sight of Hitsugaya, "Yeah…I know"

Keiko managed to beat the hollow and it was sent back to the 12th division. The boy she saved was grateful to her for saving his life; she on the other hand managed to get cut near her heart because of shielding him, which for some reason she did willingly. After that, she was sent to the 4th division to be healed. And thus returning us to the present moment…

Hitsugaya sighed before sitting down on the chair next to Keiko's bed, "That was really stupid for you to do"

Keiko's gaze softened again as she recalled what happened. Back in that forest, there was a small boy that was scattering through because he saw sparks form the town. She managed to saved him but, she received a large gash at her chest and all the way down to her abdomen in the process. "Yeah, it really was"

"Why didn't you just wake me up?"

"Because…I just didn't want to" Keiko paused before looking towards her open window and avoiding Hitsugaya's gaze. "Why do you suddenly care?"

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows slightly, that never occurred to him until she asked. But she was right, _'Why do I suddenly…cared?'_ He narrowed his eyes before he answered with the first thing that came in his mind, "Because even though you were a criminal, technically you are my subordinate" He paused before continuing, "It's my job to protect you as well"

Keiko scoffed before looking back at him, "Technically, It's also my job to worry about you, and protect you along the way" She raised her eyebrows in a mocking manner. "The fact that you haven't slept for nearly a week just pushes my worries to their limit. So you're the idiot here" She placed her voice in a mocking tone, complete harmony with the look on her face, "Well?"

The atmosphere turned serious for a moment as Hitsugaya's cheeks began to burn the shade of crimson. She scoffed and turned away, "I can't really figure what I've done to make you want to continue to entertain me like this"

Hitsugaya's eye twitched, "Why does everything that come out of your mouth sound like an insult?"

Without glancing at him, she smirked again, "Because it's too easy to insult you, Shiro-chan"

**Yeah, I know I suck at fighting scenes... The problem is I don't have that much inspiration when it comes to fighting low-class hollows or whatever you call them. So, basically, this time Keiko starts showing more emotions. I'm thinking about placing a little surprise in the next chapter for Keiko...heheheh...yes...**

**Ehmm...Anyways, again I'm not sure when I'll update but I'm going to tell you one thing. Reviews always makes me all jumpy and energetic that I just have to update sooner! And this is not just so you'll review, well, a little but it's also the truth...**

**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yo! Hello everyone! Okay, so actually I was planning on updating this on Sunday but it turns out that I won't have much time to waste on the weekend, I've got try outs next week :( I just hope I don't flunk out... But the good news is the fact that my grades are rising a bit and my mom will let me use the computer more often, how great is that?**

**Hmmm... What else to say? Oh, yeah! Just a little promote, I've made two other stories, one for Fullmetal Alchemist and one more for Nurarihyon no Mago, I'd appreciate it if you would try and read it (Just for those who understands the story, you don't have to force yourself into reading it)**

**Now then, as always, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
><strong>

**Chapter 8**

"A what?" the two said simultaneously as they glared daggers at a grinning Matsumoto.

"A day out!" she repeated herself with a chirped voice, completely ignoring the two's glares. She raised a finger and pouted slightly, "You two always get cooped up in the office doing paperwork, and Keiko-chan just got out of the 4th division…" She pointed towards the two of them before her grin widened, "That's why today you two will get out of Seireitei and not go back until the sun is set!"

_'Usually it's your fault we ended up working on so much paperwork'_

Hitsugaya and Keiko grunted before narrowing their eyes, "And if we refuse?"

"I thought you two might say that" she said before snapping her fingers. Three people, that weren't even in the 10th division, jumped out of hiding and stepped behind the two. Matsumoto smirked, "That's why I asked some people for help!"

The two furrowed their eyebrows before glancing back and gazing at the _'reinforcements'_ Matsumoto called out, Momo, Ikkaku, and Shuuhei, two of Matsumoto's drinking buddies and Hitsugaya's own childhood friend.

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows slightly, "Momo, you're in on this as well?"

"That's right!" she said before winking at him. "And I won't let you spend a single second in that horrid office of yours for the entire day…no matter what."

Keiko narrowed her eyes, "And I'm guessing you two haven't introduced yourselves to me before. It's…" She placed a finger to her forehead and thought for a moment before looking back at them, "Ikkaku and Shuuhei, right? You're supposed to be Matsumoto's drinking buddies"

The two blinked before glancing slightly towards each other. They looked back towards the girl and opened their mouths, "How did-?"

"Alright, seems like Keiko-chan already knows everyone here! Not that that was unexpected…" Matsumoto said before stepping beside Keiko. She crunched down and pointed towards the girl, "Okay, so this is Nakamura Keiko our new member and she's already famous around Seireitei, isn't she cute? She'll be our new playmate!"

Keiko narrowed her eyes and gripped her hand while keeping her anger locked up, "Matsumoto…"

**-Later in Rukongai-**

"So, where do you guys want to go first?" Matsumoto asked while leading the group forward.

Keiko sighed as she let Momo dragged her by the arm, knowing perfectly well that there was no point in trying to get away from the horrible fate of spending an entire day with them. Hitsugaya had a scowl on his face as he walked with Ikkaku and Shuuhei trailing behind him, they looked as if they were his escorts or something.

Keiko and Hitsugaya looked towards Matsumoto with blank looks, Keiko opened her mouth; "It doesn't matter where we go just as long as it means we're going somewhere!"

"Right…" Hitsugaya looked to the side, _'As long as it means we're getting off of other people's gaze I won't complain about it.'_

Apparently, their little group has attracted a lot of people as they walked by. Matsumoto and Momo don't seemed to be fazed by this fact, and Ikkaku and Shuuhei were too busy arguing about their last fight… How interesting.

Keiko and Hitsugaya sweat dropped and looked towards the ground, _'This is ridiculous!'_

"I found it!" The two looked up and saw Matsumoto jumping up and down in joy as she pointed towards the store they were now standing in front of, "The bar!"

**-In the Bar-**

"This is nice…" Matsumoto said as she collapsed on the counter of the bar, her face flushed and the cup in her hand void of anymore sake.

Momo fell asleep after a couple of minutes while Ikkaku and Shuuhei ended up getting into some drinking contest with some of the other customers there.

Hitsugaya sighed, "I don't think we'll be leaving anytime soon."

Hitsugaya looked around the bar, it was quite small. There was a long circular counter in the middle, which is where he's sitting at the moment. There were some tables scattered around the small shop and most of them had three chairs around them. Some lanterns were hanging from the roof as being the only source of light, aside to the small candles placed in random places around the shop.

"Here you are, Keiko-chan!" Hitsugaya turned his head and saw the seller giving Keiko a cup of sake. He had a wide smile on his face as he looked at the girl, "You haven't visited in a while, so that one's free. Just think of it as a little present, alright?"

She nodded, "Thanks…"

_'Does she know that guy?'_ Hitsugaya thought before moving to the sdie a bit.

Keiko was on the other side of the counter so she probably didn't notice Hitsugaya looking at her, quite rare, usually she's really sharp. "So, how is he?"

Hitsugaya furrowed his eyebrows before leaning a bit closer towards the two to hear their conversation, for some reason he seemed interested. He heard Keiko asked back towards the man, "Who?"

"Oh, c'mon… I know you were gone for a century or so but there's no way you forgot about your little playmate, right? Or maybe...he's not just a playmate anymore?"

"Don't be stupid!" Hitsugaya looked back towards Keiko and saw her actually changed her expression for a change. She was looking down towards her cup and her cheeks were slightly red, was she actually blushing? "I…stopped contacting him a long time ago; there was no need for it anyway…" She paused and furrowed her eyebrows, "He broke his promise to me"

The man sighed and shook his head, "You two were so close… Surely you must've missed him"

At the seller's words, Keiko's gaze softened as she watched her own reflection on the surface of the calmed and clear liquid, "…"

_Yoshirou…_

"_You were out drinking again, weren't you?" Keiko said as she gazed at the drunken man who was leaning back against the wall behind him, he looked like he was ready to faint and fall unconscious on the floor. His hand was holding on to the frame of the door and his other one was holding on to the shirt he decided to take off and placed over his shoulder._

_He grinned and looked up at her, "Maybe a little…" His face was flushed and an idiotic look was plastered on his face._

_She sighed before walking up towards him. She took one of the man's arms and circled it around her neck before lifting him off of the ground, "Either way, you can't sleep here. You'll catch a cold you idiot"_

_He hiccuped,_ "_Yes, ma'am…"_

Keiko sighed as she placed down her now empty cup. She looked up towards the man with a blank look, "Thanks..." She shoved the cup back towards the man while giving him a slightly apologetic look, "But you do know I _hate_ sake"

**-An Hour Later-**

Hitsugaya watched Keiko's backside with narrowed eyes. _'That seller said something about her old playmate… Is he supposed to be her partner?' _He looked to the ground and widened his eyes, _'Or maybe…she used to have a boyfriend?'_

He looked up towards Keiko, who was now being dragged by Momo once again towards a small ice cream stand, before furrowing his eyebrows, _'I guess it would make sense if she had a boyfriend, a lot of boys like her but…'_ He hummed, _'What kind of guy would actually make her blush like that?'_

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Hitsugaya widened his eyes before turning around, seeing Ikkaku and Shuuhei looking at him with smirks on their faces and both their arms were crossed over their chest. Shuuhei shook his head, "You shouldn't be doing that, Hitsugaya-taichou"

He narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Well-"

"You like her, don't you?" Hitsugaya was taken aback by surprise when Ikkaku suddenly said that, and with such a light expression on his face as if it was nothing. At the small captain's reaction, Ikkaku smirked, "Oh… Now that's not good, I thought you said you were only supposed to watch her" Ikkaku leaned forward so he was grinning right in front of Hitsugaya's face, "But here you are ended up with a crush on the girl who was supposed to be the ticket to Seireitei's destruction a century ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Hitsugaya said as he regained his composure. He looked back towards Keiko before continuing his sentence, "It's just…there was something in my mind"

"Sure…" the two men said simultaneously, earning a cold glare from the white haired captain.

"Hitsugaya-taichou" Hitsugaya turned and widened his eyes when a spoon was shoved into his mouth. After a moment, the feel of cold entered his mouth, and it tasted sweet. He blinked before letting the spoon slipped out of his mouth and passed his lips. He looked up and saw Keiko holding the spoon and two cups of ice cream in her hand, "Can you guess?"

Hitsugaya looked down before looking back at her, "Grape?"

"Yup" she said before taking a spoonful herself and letting the ice melt in her mouth, bringing a cold sensation towards her tongue. She brought up another cup and handed it to him, "Watermelon"

"Shiro-chan!" They all turned and saw Momo running up towards them, Matsumoto trailing behind her. They were both carrying two cups of ice in each hand, just like Keiko. "We got two more for Ikkaku and Shuuhei!"

The other four began making a big fuss of who gets what flavor, leaving Hitsugaya and Keiko out of the discussion since it was clear which one was theirs. Hitsugaya gazed down at his for a moment before looking to the side, towards Keiko who she was still eating hers in peace.

He raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw Keiko, smiled. After placing the spoon in her mouth, she closed her eyes as the edges of her lip went upwards into a small and rather cute smile, her cheeks also puffed a bit and turned slightly red like how she blushes. She looked almost…childlike.

'_Did she just…?'_ He paled slightly when she turned towards him with a cold and murderous gaze.

He looked to the side and saw the four people still bickering with each other. He narrowed his eyes and placed his mouth in a firm line before glancing back towards Keiko, who in return looked at him with a questioning look. He gestured back towards the four, earning a nod from her in return.

The two tiptoed quietly away from the group, making a quick escape, without a single one of them noticing their absence...for now.

**-Back in the Bar-**

The bell on top of the door chimed slightly as the door was opened, a man stepped in. His clothes were ragged and his face was covered in dirt and cuts. He was carrying a small bag with him and even the bag had cuts on them.

He sighed and collapsed on the counter, his face was placed down against the surface of the table. He looked up when a cup was placed in front of him, "Don't worry" He raised his head, the seller, he smiled down towards him, "That one's for free. You look like you had a tough one this time, Yoshirou"

He looked at him questioningly for a moment before smiling and taking the cup. He took a small sip before pausing, "…Is there something you want to tell me?"

The man chuckled, "You are really like her at times, guess that makes sense though."

"What are you talking about?" Yoshirou asked before placing down the cup of sake.

The man smirked, "What would you say, if I told you that a girl made a visit to my store earlier today, and she came here with a bunch of shinigami with her"

Yoshirou merely gave him a slight glance before looking back towards his cup, "So?" he responded with the least bit of interest.

"It was Keiko"

Yoshirou widened his eyes before the innocent cup in his hand was accidently smashed into pieces thanks to the sudden rise of pressure placed on it. He looked up with narrowed eyes, "What?"

His smirk widened before he shrugged, "Well, I wanted to throw away that cup anyways…"

**I know... Personally I don't really like this chapter, it's a bit...boring -_- I just hope I'll have more time to write better chapters in the future. Oh, another thing, I didn't mention this earlier but Keiko's favorite food is grape, and her favorite drink is melon juice... What? Those are _my_ favorites as well!**

**And now, once again and as always, Please Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! I have good news and bad news. Good news: I'm only going to visit my grandma for either two days or even only one day so, I'll still have enough time to update. Bad news: Every year during fasting I always get...extra chores...(Oh, the horror!) And I practically needs to watch the house alone, like today.**

**Moving on to the story, Please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
><strong>

**Chapter 9**

Yoshirou walked down the road with his back slouched and a scowl on his face. He had a spoon sticking out of his mouth as he carried the small cup of ice cream carefully, "Damn that guy… He told me Keiko was around town but he didn't even tell me where she went"

"Be back soon, okay?"

He looked to the side and saw a girl waving goodbye towards a boy. He ran past him, was carrying a large bag with him, probably large enough to carry food for a week or so.

He furrowed his eyebrows before glancing back towards the girl. He widened his eyes when he saw the drop of tears rolling down the girl's face, she whimpered slightly before erasing them and running back inside the small building. He stared at that door for a bit before a flash of memory appeared in his head.

_Keiko…_

"_You're going away?" Keiko asked Yoshirou as he finished packing everything he needed._

"_Yeah, I have to" he answered her question without looking at the girl. He looked up when he heard the sound of a door being slammed, she wasn't there anymore._

_He furrowed his eyebrows before walking towards the door. He opened it and gazed to the side, she was sitting next to the door while turning herself into a small curled up ball. He kneeled down, "Keiko?" he furrowed his eyebrows even more when he only received slight whimpers in return. He placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned closer, "What's wrong, Keiko?"_

_He widened his eyes when the girl looked up, her eyes were slightly red along with her cheeks and drop of tears were tainting her face. She narrowed her eyes, "You're going to leave me?"_

_That's when he realized why the girl was crying. He looked down, "I sort of will but, I won't be gone for long… I promise."_

"_How long will you be gone?"_

"…_I'm not sure"_

"_Why do you have to go?"_

"…_I just do"_

_She furrowed her eyebrows before scrunching away from the boy, "How do I know…when you'll be back?"_

"_How do you- Hmmm…good question" Yoshirou thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. He looked back down towards her with a warm smile, "Why don't make a promise to you something? Just so that you'll be sure I'll come back."_

_She raised her eyebrows slightly and blinked, "A promise?"_

Yoshirou sighed before looking at a distance, the sun was already setting. He shook his head, "She's probably on her way back to Seireitei by now… I'll just visit her some other time" He turned around and walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

'_Goodbye, Keiko…'_

**-Meanwhile-**

Hitsugaya sweat dropped as he watched Keiko struggled to find her way through the crowds. When she did, she nearly fell forward but was saved when Hitsugaya leaned forward and caught her. He looked down towards her with a blank look, "So, I'm guessing you're not very good in walking in large crowds, are you?"

She practically had swirls in her eyes. She shook her head before standing up and regaining her composure once again. She sighed before looking up at him, "I hate being with other people, what makes you think I like being in crowded places?"

"Good point"

The two turned and made their way away from the crowd and to a rather quieter area. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "Where are we going exactly?"

Keiko looked around before glancing back, "It's a secret, you're lucky you know; I've never shown anyone else this place before…without killing them of course" she said before turning around the corner.

Hitsugaya paled before following her, "I'm honored."

When he turned around the corner he widened his eyes at the sight of a large building coming into view. The building was large and it looked rather fragile like it would fall down and crash any moment. It was made of old creek wood but it in a way it was stern enough. It looked like one of those haunted mansions, but a lot less creepy.

"Are you coming or not?" Hitsugaya looked up and saw Keiko already standing on the porch. She raised an eyebrow, "Well?"

"Coming…"

**-Later in the Building-**

Hitsugaya's eyes were large and his jaw was dropped, that building…was a library. The ceilings were high and a large chandelier was hanging down from the entrance, giving small dim lights to the large room. The shelves were huge and tall, they nearly reached the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a circular stair that reached up until the highest floor.

He shook his head and looked back straight ahead. Keiko was also looking up towards the top of the stairs, "…I haven't been here in a while" She glanced back towards Hitsugaya, "We need meet the lady of the library first, alright?"

He nodded, "Alright."

The two made their way towards the side of the room, where a large and slightly long table was at. Keiko stopped in front of the table and looked around. She narrowed her eyes and saw something behind the glint of light, it looked like, string. "Poison strings" she muttered before glancing back towards Hitsugaya.

He narrowed his eyes as well, "You do know the person in charge here, right?"

She shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot about me" she said before taking hold of the table's edge and jumping up, she landed on the other side of the table, avoiding every string tangled around it in the process. "You're very forgetful, aren't you, Kuroyuri?" she said while gazing down.

Hitsugaya couldn't really see anything since the table was quite tall; it was almost as tall as him. He raised his eyebrows slightly when the sight of an old woman stood next to Keiko, probably the Kuroyuri person she mentioned.

Kuroyuri put on her glasses and stared at Keiko from top to bottom before a small smile appeared on her old face, "Well bless my heart, if it isn't my sweet little Keiko-chan, how have you been sweetheart?"

Keiko blushed slightly before looking away, "I've been…fine" She's been locked up in a dungeon for a century, what part of that sounds fine? "But, I brought company with me…" she said before glancing back towards Hitsugaya.

The old woman looked back towards Hitsugaya. She hummed slightly before snapping her fingers; the strings around the table were instantly cut. She smiled slightly before climbing up the small stairs so she could look passes the table clearly, "Hmmm… Well, young man, you seem quite familiar…"

"He's a captain"

In an instant the woman's smile turned wider and brighter before she reached out and patted him on the head, "Well no wonder, it's so hard to forget a captain's face…" She glanced back towards Keiko, "Especially, a cute one."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, _'What are they talking about?'_

"Now then, I suppose I better turn on the lights" Kuroyuri said before jumping off the stairs and towards the back room.

After a view minutes, the small candles were lit, there were so many that it was enough to light the gigantic room. "You two just stay on the first floor for now, I need to take care of the other ones, alright?"

Keiko nodded, "Thank you."

…

"So, why did you bring me here?" Hitsugaya asked as he looked at the seemingly endless rows of books.

Keiko hummed slightly from the other side of the shelves, "There's…something I think I should show you" She pulled out one of the books so Hitsugaya could see through, "But you can't tell anyone or anything what I've told you and what you've seen here, understand?"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" He was pushed back when the book was literally shoved back into the shelves.

"Because…" He turned and saw Keiko already at the end of the aisle, a book in her hand. She narrowed her eyes, "This place is something dear to me, and if anyone else knows what's in here especially the shinigami… They might destroy it. I can't even imagine what Yamamoto would do if he knew this place existed" she said before walking towards a nearby table.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "What's in here that could be that bad?"

Keiko looked at him for a moment before looking down towards the book in her hand. She took a deep breath before narrowing her eyes, _'I just hope I'm not making a big mistake by bringing him here…'_ Without saying anything, Keiko shoved the book towards Hitsugaya, who in return took the book with slight hesitation.

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes before opening the book, reading every page he flipped carefully. He widened his eyes before closing the book. He stared at the ground with wide eyes as his head began to ache slightly. _'This book…'_

"Do you understand now?" Hitsugaya looked up and saw that Keiko was already searching through the rows of books before pulling out another book. She glanced at him with an empty look, "This library… The books in here… Even Kuroyuri…"

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes before looking away, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because I wanted to see how you'd react" She sits down on the chair across from Hitsugaya before placing down the book. She twined her fingers and placed her chin on top of them, "You must've noticed that this library couldn't be seen from afar even though it's huge, that's because this library wasn't meant to be here in the first place. And the books here…"

"…Are all documents of people's lifes" Hitsugaya finished Keiko's sentence for her.

"That's right" Keiko gazed at the high shelves before a smirk appeared on her face. "Every person's life is recorded here, and I was told that we shouldn't read our own documents, that's what I was wondering."

"Wait a minute…" Hitsugaya glared daggers at the dark haired girl, "You used me as a guinea pig?"

She shrugged, "Maybe…" She lifted the small black book up to her eye level so he could also see it. The cover was completely black and the part facing Hitsugaya had a picture of a phoenix on it. She hummed slightly, "You know… I always wondered what my document was like, but I guess seeing your reaction earlier I really shouldn't try and read it."

Hitsugaya sweat dropped, "So you really were using me as a guinea pig…" He looked around the library with narrowed eyes, "But if this place isn't even meant to be here… Why is it here?"

Keiko smirked before looking back at the book and opening it, "As if I'd tell you that… Don't flatter yourself, Hitsugaya-taichou, the only reason I brought you here was, as I said, to see your reaction when you read your own document in this library…nothing more."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "That's not yours?"

"Nope"

"Whose is it?"

"…"

Hitsugaya sighed before leaning back against the chair and gazing at the girl with narrowed eyes. She sighed before closing her book, "Fine, I'll tell you this" She placed down her book on her lap, "Let's just say the reason why this library is even here is because of...one of my previous missions, and it wasn't completed because I filed my last one, remember? It was the reason I was imprisoned."

"I see..."

**Hey, so that library idea was actually from a friend of mine, but Kuroyuri is like my grandma! Anyways, I don't think I should tell you what's going to happen to Keiko and Yoshirou on the next chapter... Let's just call it a surprise, okay?**

**As always, your comments and critics are always welcomed here, Please Review!**_  
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	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! I am so sorry! I couldn't update sooner, or as to my deadline goes, because I was having a lot, and I mean A LOT of writer's block! I don't think I need to list my own problems, but let's just say that I can make an entire page of Microsoft Word to be full just by writing down all the things I need to take care of during my holidays... Oh, what has this world come to? Children can't even rest during their holidays...**

**Anyways! That's enough of that! My friend asked me about the library thing and asked if the story turned weird, I hope not, but I would appreciate it if you'd tell me so I can try to make the story better, no guarantees. Now then, Please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!  
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**Chapter 10**

"What are you looking for?" Hitsugaya asked as he trailed behind the dark haired girl.

She hummed while trailing her fingers on the rows of books' covers, "Something, which you clearly are smart enough to know that I will not tell you."

Hitsugaya sighed, "You're right about that."

The two were still in the library, well, in the middle of it and it seemed that anyone would be able to get lost easily in there. They were in the middle of an aisle on the second floor and if it was possible, the second floor was dustier than the first one.

Hitsugaya looked around before glancing back towards Keiko, "Nakamura, can I ask you something?"

"Mm?" she said in responds.

"How long have you known this place actually existed? And how did you even found it in the first place?" Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows slightly when Keiko stopped in her steps.

She looked down towards the book in her hand before furrowing her eyebrows, "I didn't find it on my own… Someone showed it to me."

"Oh…" was his response. "Why did you say this place was so important to you?"

'_Great, now the guy's filled with questions!'_ Keiko placed back one of the books and moved on to the next row, "Oh, that… Well, basically this place is my entire past. Well, not the whole thing since I don't remember most of them but, most of the memorable ones is all here."

"Oh…"

'_He may have a lot of questions but, he doesn't really have that much of a response to them, does he?'_ Keiko glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow, "You're awfully quiet…Wasn't expecting that out of you."

"What were you expecting out of me?" he said before following the girl around the next aisle.

She shrugged, "Not sure, I mean just think about it, this place is filled with every bit of information to every soul both dead and alive. Don't you find this place any interesting at all? But, then again, it'd be bad if you end up reading an entire book here…"

"Why is that?" he asked when Keiko placed down the stack of books back on the table before pulling out a chair.

She looked at him for a moment before looking around the library, "If you promise you won't tell anyone about this place, I'll tell you everything you need to know about it, how is that?" She looked up at him and sighed, "I'm serious."

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else in Rukongai**

"Oh, god, where are they?" Matsumoto yelled in frustration as the group continued their search aimlessly.

Momo sighed before glancing towards Matsumoto, "Are you sure, they didn't just go back to Seireitei? Knowing those two, they're probably in the office as we speak."

"Don't you think that's a bit too obvious? Maybe that's exactly what they want us to think!" she replied.

"Matsumoto!" she turned and saw Ikkaku and Shuuhei run up towards them. They stopped in front of her, "We couldn't find them anywhere!"

Shuuhei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Hey, maybe we should head back now, the sun is setting and it'll be hard to recognize anyone in this crowd especially in the dark."

Matsumoto thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, I'm sure Taichou wouldn't miss his bedtime-I mean, I'm sure he's fine! I mean he can take care of himself, right? Right! Let's go back."

**Back in the Library**

"Will you give that back!" Hitsugaya yelled towards Keiko, who in return hummed.

She looked at him with a playful smirk, "Oh… But you looked so cute when you were younger."

Since Hitsugaya couldn't read his own documents and the fact that he doesn't know where hers is, Keiko took that to an advantage and went to read his. Seems she only read the important and awfully embarrassing things about his childhood.

She jumped up and seated herself on the top of a book shelf, she hummed slightly as she continued to read it, "Well, you haven't really change much since you were young, have you?"

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean by that exactly?" He didn't bother to come up after her because, well, that book shelf doesn't look like it can survive two people on top of it.

She gazed down towards him, "Well, you obviously don't look any different except, the fact that you don't scowl as much as you were younger…" She paused before looking back towards the book and turning the page, "But, obviously you have gotten more mature… Too bad, I wanted to know how you behaved when you were younger."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

She sighed before closing the book and looking back towards him, "Isn't it obvious? This place existed far before I first arrived to Soul Society, and I found out about it not long after. I used to spend a lot of time here with Kuroyuri, so I had a lot of time to read here…"

"And you're quite a fast reader, Keiko-chan," the two looked back and saw the said woman walked up towards them, a stack of papers in her hands. She looked up towards the girl with a smile, "I've gotten you're usual place ready, come down and bring your friend there, alright? I need to work here."

"Sure," she nodded before jumping down and landing next to Hitsugaya. She glanced towards him, "Let's go then."

"Go where?"

…

"Ummm, this is a-?"

"Well, it's exactly what it looks like," she stepped into the opening and crossed her arms over her chest, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She turned and looked at Hitsugaya with a blank look, "I like having tea in the garden, okay? Don't judge me by my appearance!"

Out at the back of the library was a surprisingly-large garden, and to an even greater surprise, is the fact that the place seemed well taken care of, unlike the insides of the library. There was a white table at the center of the garden, seemed it was already set up for some tea party.

Hitsugaya's eye twitched slightly, "…This is…very unexpected…"

"Do you still want to know?" Keiko asked, earning a confused look from Hitsugaya.

"Know what?" he said as he closed the book he was reading, take a wild guess, that book is Matsumoto's life file.

She sighed, "You asked why this place was so important to me, and you were obviously aware that my answer wasn't the complete honest truth…" she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, "Do you want to know the truth or not?"

He was about to answer when a fact popped in his head, "Wait a minute…" He narrowed his eyes and gazed at the girl carefully, "I would understand if you'd tell me one thing at a time but, you're just going to tell me the whole thing just like that? Why do you suddenly trust me like this?"

"T-That's…ummm…" she looked away and furrowed her eyebrows. She took a deep breath before looking down to her lap, "That's because, you already promised."

'_She seems to act so different as to when I first met her…'_ "Promised what?" he repeated, completely clueless towards her statement.

Her eye twitched slightly before she looked at him straight in the eye. She coughed a bit before she placed an innocent look, "Don't you remember what you said in the 4th division?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "In the 4th division? What did I say?"

She sighed, "Never mind!" she huffed and looked away before sipping her tea. She looked back at him and narrowed her eyes, her expression turned back to normal, "Don't you remember at all?"

He paused before recalling the day he came to visit her in the 4th division, she got hurt after beating Kurotsuchi's experiment, even though that was supposed to be his mission. He just felt a rush of guilt when he saw her lie on that bed like that and he couldn't even come to the battle scene. And he couldn't really blame her for doing so; she was just worried about his well-being.

"_Because, even though you were a criminal, technically you are my subordinate, it's my job to protect you as well."_

He furrowed his eyebrows as he gazed down to his lap. "It was probably a couple of months after I arrived in Soul Society," he looked up and saw that Keiko was already starting her story, though she wasn't looking at him, instead she was looking down to her cup. She continued, "When I first arrived, I was stuck in the Zaraki district. And let's just say; I have a talent for getting into troubles…I think I was born with it or something…"

"_Get back here! You won't be so fast once I'm done with you!" the man yelled._

_The girl giggled, "You have to catch me first!" she said before turning around the corner and using the trash bags to hide herself, for the time being._

"_Where is she?"_

"_Did she even run down this alley?"_

"_Find her! Boss will kill us if we don't come back with that little thief!"_

_She waited for their steps and voices to disappear before sighing. She popped her head up and grunted, "Ugh, I hated it when I have to hide in garbage." She jumped out of the pack of garbage and cleaned her outfit before picking up the small bag she was carrying._

_She stuck her head out around the corner and looked around, sighing in relief when she saw none of the men stayed behind to search the streets. She smiled before walking back to the streets. As she pass by, people looked at her with various looks, some nicer than others. She ignored them before running up to a seemingly empty building._

_She stepped inside and plopped down on the couch before throwing the small bag behind her head. She sighed, "Man, I'm exhausted…" She looked back towards the bag with a blank look, "Does a soul's hunger depends on the amount of their reiatsu as well?"_

_She stretched her arms above her head before lying down to her side on the couch. Her eye lids turning heavy, she yawned before finally letting her eyes close and her consciousness was drifted away from her grip._

Hitsugaya sweat dropped, _'So she was always a trouble maker from the start…'_

**In the 10****th**** Division**

Matsumoto's eye twitched slightly as she gazed at the empty office, "I am so dead…"

Shuuhei and Momo patted her softly on the shoulder; Ikkaku left a long time ago when Yumichika came and picked him up, in attempt to calm the woman. Shuuhei chuckled slightly, "Don't worry, Matsumoto, I'm sure he'll be back soon…"

"It's not that," the two blinked as the woman looked back towards them. She furrowed her eyebrows, "If I knew he won't be back here, I could've just stayed in town and headed out to drink again!"

The two sweat dropped, "Matsumoto…"

**You know, I never actually have any interest in drinking tea in the garden, but after I did it, ummm, somewhere...I've come to realize how fun it is! Especially when you do it in a pristine garden with sweets and pastries and-Okay! I'm getting off topic!**

**Now, as always, Please Review!**


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